This website is intended for people affected by the Worldwide Church of God, Living Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God; or any other splinter group. However, these essays may be helpful to anyone who was once involved in a Bible-based cult.

Friday, 18 April 2008

'The Church' VS. 'The Hippies'

The following excerpt is taken from a book titled 'Hippies - Hypocrisy and Happiness' (published in 1968 by the Ambassador College). I've included it here, because Worldwide Church of God used the word 'cult' to describe the youth of the 60's who objected to the Vietnam War.

Why did the Worldwide Church of God throw around the word 'cult' so much?

Personally, I believe that 'the church' was trying to define the word 'cult' for its members. They did not want members to know that a bible-based cult is defined as 'an apocalypse-fearing church (who's leader talks with God)'. 'The church' wanted us to believe that 'cults' were satanic. I know my parents don't seem to believe there is such thing as a 'bible-based cult;' they don't think a 'church' could be a 'cult.' They believe all cults involve the occult (such as paganism or Wicca), which they consider satanic.

I think their opinion is pretty universal to ex-members of the Worldwide Church of God who have not accepted that it was a bible-based cult*.

3 comments:

Anonymous
said...

I POSTED THIS ON AW and is worth repeating:

The Good News and other rags of the COG world really advocate the following: Turn on (the tv) Tune in (to our church pseudo propaganda) Drop out (of society) So we have the word of Timothy Leary to apply to Armstrong and his henchmen who are advocates of a "psychedelic" (deluded) religious research and practice.********************************* Armstrongist argue that psychedelics pseudo religion practiced with the right doctrines, and with the guidance of Armstrong trained professionals, could alter behavior in unprecedented and beneficial ways as to the cause.

Many of Armstrong's research participants reported profound mystical and spiritual experiences, which they claim permanently altered their lives in a very positive manner. According to Herbert's autobiography, they taught stolen doctrinal ideas to 300 Armstrong professors, graduate students, writers and wanna be philosophers, and 75% of them reported the experience as being like a revelation to them and one of the most educational experiences of their lives.

In the Pasadena experiment, they administered psilocybin to church associates, and after being guided through the trips by Armstrong and his henchmen, 36 associates allegedly turned their backs on atheism or other religions.

The normal recidivism rate of associates is about 80%, but of the subjects involved in the project, about 80% did not return to other religions, i.e. a 20% recidivism rate.

Armstrong's activities interested a sibling who helped Herbert and his associates acquire the use of a rambling mansion on an estate in the town of Pasadena, California, where they continued their experiments on false doctrines. Armstrong later wrote: "We saw ourselves as anthropologists from the twenty-first century inhabiting a time module set somewhere in the dark ages. On this cult colony, we were attempting to create a new form of paganism we called religion (for the purpose of tax write offs.)

Later, the Pasadena estate was described as "the headquarters of Gods Church for the better part of several decades, a period filled with endless parties, epiphanies and breakdowns, emotional dramas of all sizes.

About the Author

I am 3rd generation Worldwide Church of God; grand-daughter of a Decon. My parents stopped going to 'the church' not long after 'the changes' (in doctrine, 1995). I was left with a pretty severe anxiety disorder, and a total inability to make friends with 'the people of the world.'

After contemplating suicide, I became a teenage run-away. I faced homelessness and starvation; hitch-hiking from one coast of the USA to the other. Now, I live a happy life. I am healing, but even years after leaving 'the church,' I'm haunted with insecurities that were implanted into me at a young age.

I still have re-occuring dreams of the Apocalypse. I've had to quit more than one job due to panic attacks, and often times I cannot leave the house due to agoraphobia. I have met many other former members of the Worldwide Church of God who suffer from the same problems. Many of us still fear the end of the world, even though we have discarded the beliefs of 'the church.'

I write to heal myself, and to find others who share my experiences.

* Footnote

The word 'cult' is painful for me to use and read. It was over a decade after leaving 'the church' that I finally was able to accept that Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God was in fact a cult. In order to accept this, I had to learn the true, detailed definition of 'Bible-Based Cult'.

It is as follows:

CULT (Bible-Based);

1. A 'chuch' who's leader mayclaim a to be an apostle,prophet; or may claim tospeak with God.

2. Members believe they arein the 'only true church.'

3. The leader and hisministers use intimidationto keep members loyal totheir ranks; such asteaching that those wholeave 'the church' willnot have an eternal soul;or if members leavethey will die during theapocalypse. Also memberswho leave may be shunnedby their family andfriends in 'the church'.

4. All cults require membersto give a large percent ofincome as tithe. This iscompulsory tithing (whichis checked); those who arenot faithful to the tithewill be disfellowshiped.